Floyd Emmanuel Libera: The 17-year-old National award-winning drummer

Floyd Emmanuel Libera has an innocent and endearing smile on his face as he recounts a memory of him flipping over a tricycle to play rhythms on it. A student of drumming since infancy, Floyd is now a prodigy who has a Grade 8 certificate with distinction from the Trinity College, London.

He has also expanded his achievements in music education by earning two diplomas: Licentiate of Trinity College London (LTCL) and Associate of Trinity College London (ATCL) before he turned 17 this year. What followed in its wake is a National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement in 2017 which he received from Indian President, Ram Nath Kovind. 

If you are wondering why you haven’t already read about him or seen him perform with the big shots in the music industry, here is his answer, “I believe that you shouldn’t be in the spotlight up to a certain age. You will develop an ego and will end up placing yourself on a higher pedestal, which won’t end well .” 
 

Grooving up
Floyd definitely owes it to his father, who would take him along for jamming sessions with his friends when he was younger. “Luckily, my parents saw something in me and signed me up for classes in National Academy during my lower primary school’s summer holidays. I trained at National Academy and then I moved to Jam Music School,” informs Floyd, who has been under the tutelage of renowned trainer Mathew Joy since then.

Citing names like Dave Weckl and Mike Portnoy as his inspirations, he has developed a liking for playing challenging styles like progressive rock over the years. “Whenever I feel unmotivated, I try out new styles of music like jazz or classical,” informs the instrumentalist.

Alongside pursuing another diploma, Floyd is currently set on expanding his musical knowledge by learning mridangam to delve into the complexities of rhythm. He has also been taking western vocal and guitar lessons for over a year to grow into a musician rather than be just another great drummer. Keen to develop his drumming skills further, he is contemplating training with Mumbai-based drummer Gino Banks or looking for scholarships abroad.